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  DOG TREATS  

• The NIU Huskies make their 21st bowl appearance all-time and 16th as a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision team when they take on Fresno State in the 2024 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
• NIU is bowl eligible for the 19th time this century and has played in 15 bowls games since 2003, more than any other Mid-American Conference team. 
• NIU and Fresno State last played in the 2010 Humanitarian Bowl in Boise with the Huskies taking a 3-2 lead in the all-time series between the schools with a 40-17 win on the blue turf.  
• There are 16 seniors listed as starters on the Huskies' depth chart for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and 22 on the depth chart, including all three specialists. NIU will not have any player start the bowl game who has not started a game before. 
• Eleven current Huskies have played in 50 or more games at NIU while the defense features seven players with at least 100 career tackles, led by senior Jaden Dolphin's 208 stops. 
• NIU is the only team in the FBS that has not allowed a 100-yard rusher this season, or in its last 16 games, dating back to the 2023 game at Central Michigan.
• Opponents have averaged just 6.6 points per game in the second half versus NIU this year. The Huskies have three second half shutouts (Akron, Bowling Green, Central Michigan) and have not allowed a second half touchdown in its last three games. 
• Senior defensive tackle Devonte O'Malley, a first team All-MAC selection in 2024, has recorded a sack in six of NIU's last eight games and has eight on the season, the highest total by a Huskie since Sutton Smith's 15 in 2018. O'Malley's 21 career sacks are sixth at NIU all-time.
• Eight Huskies, led by first team selections Devonte O'Malley (DT), Nate Valcarcel (S) and J.J. Lippe (OL), were named to the 2024 All-MAC team. Offensive linemen Logan Zschernitz and John Champe along with defensive end Roy Williams, earned second team recognition.   
• NIU has held 20 of its last 25 opponents over the last two seasons to 25 points or less, including 11 of its 12 2024 foes with Western Michigan the only team to surpass 25 points against the Huskies this season.
• The Huskies rank second in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in third down conversion percentage defense with opponents converting just 25.9 percent of their third down chances in 2024. Only four teams have converted more than three first downs against NIU this season. 
• Redshirt freshman quarterback Josh Holst, a walk-on, makes his third start of the year versus Fresno State and has seen action in six games on the season.

NIU Schedule & Results
 

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  BULLDOG FOOTBALL FACTS  

Interim HC (Alma Mater/Year): Tim Skipper (Fresno State, 2001)
Record at Fresno State/Years: 7-6/1
Career Record/Years: 7-6/1
2024 Record: 6-6
Conference Record/Finish: 4-3/4th
Location: Fresno, Calif.
Enrollment: 24,234
Conference: Mountain West
Colors: Red and Blue 
Stadium: Valley Children's Stadium
Surface/Capacity: AstroTurf/40,727
President: Dr. Saul Jimenez-Sandoval
Athletic Director: Garrett Klassy
Athletics Website: GoBulldogs.com
Twitter: @FresnoStateFB

FS Schedule & Results
 

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  THE SERIES  

Overall: NIU leads 3-2
In DeKalb: Series tied 1-1
In Fresno: Series tied 1-1
Neutral Site: NIU leads 1-0
Streak: NIU, 1
First Meeting: Nov. 11, 1972 - FS 9, NIU 6 (H)
Last Meeting: Dec. 18, 2010 - NIU 40, FS 17 (N)

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  FOLLOW THE HUSKIES  

TV: NIU-FRESNO STATE IN THE FAMOUS IDAHO POTATO BOWL ON ESPN

• Watch the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on ESPN as NIU makes its 19th appearance on the network all-time, and second this year.
• NIU is playing on an over-the-air network for the seventh time this season. 
• The Huskies are 9-9 all-time on ESPN, including 0-1 in 2024 after falling to Miami on the network on Nov. 19. 
• Lowell Galindo (play-by-play) and Fozzy Whitaker (analyst) will be on the call for ESPN with Tori Petry on the sidelines.

RADIO: HUSKIE SPORTS NETWORK

• The Huskie Sports Radio Network coverage of the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl game begins 30 minutes before kickoff, at 1:00 p.m. (CT), on 94-9 WDKB in DeKalb.
• Hear the broadcast on mobile devices via the free NIU Huskies mobile app, on TuneIn, or stream online on 949wdkb.com. 
• Longtime Huskie Sports Network sideline reporter Andy Garcia closes out his first season in the play-by-play chair, while analyst Mark Lindo wraps up his 40th consecutive season calling NIU football. Terry Bonadonna is in his first year as the sideline reporter.

RADIO: BOWL SEASON

• Bowl Season Radio will broadcast the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on the Varsity Network app, Audacy, TuneIn, Sirius XM and radio stations across the US. 
• Scott Garrard will handle play-by-play with Hans Olsen as analyst and Tim Murray on the sidelines. 

NIU ATHLETICS ON YOUTUBE

• See weekly and post-game press conferences, special features, game highlights, NIU Weekly and more.
• Subscribe for FREE and click the bell to be notified every time NIU posts a new video.
• Search "NIU Athletics" on YouTube or go to YouTube.com/NIUAthleticsOfficial. 
• Archived videos and highlights, replays of some of the greatest games in school history and special features are also available 24/7 on YouTube.  

NIU HUSKIES MOBILE APP

• Download the free NIU Huskies mobile app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
• Link to the NIU radio broadcasts, live stats, complete team rosters, digital game programs and more.
• Connect to the NIU social media channels and sign up for notifications on any Huskie team.

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  NOTING NIU  

BOWLING IN BOISE: The NIU football program makes its 21st bowl appearance all-time and its 16th as a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision team in the 2024 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. A year ago, NIU defeated Arkansas State, 21-19, on December 23, 2023 to earn its first bowl win in 13 seasons, since the GoDaddy.com Bowl win over Arkansas State on January 8, 2012.  

TWO-BY-TWO (ALMOST): NIU's 2024 season largely played out in pairs. After winning its first two games, including the historic 16-14 win over No. 5 Notre Dame in South Bend on September 7, NIU dropped its next two games - a 20-23 overtime loss to Buffalo and a 24-17 loss at NC State in a game which saw NIU commit four turnovers. The Huskies came back, winning at home versus UMass, and holding Bowling Green to seven points for its first MAC win. The next week in DeKalb, Toledo scored just 13 but held NIU to six; then heartbreak at Ball State as the Cardinals made a 52-yard field goal with two seconds on the clock, just 13 seconds after NIU had taken a 23-22 lead. The two-by-two trend continued as MACtion got underway as the Huskies took out Western Michigan and Akron by the largest scoring margins in MAC games on the year. After losing at Miami, 20-9, NIU broke the string with a 24-16 Senior Day victory at home over Central Michigan.  

HUSKIE BOWL FACTS: NIU will play in a bowl game for the 13th time in the last 17 seasons in 2024, dating back to a 2008 Independence Bowl appearance. NIU is 5-10 as an FBS program and 6-14 all-time in bowl games. The Huskies appeared in a MAC-record eight consecutive bowl games from 2008-15 and NIU's 13 bowl appearances since 2008 and 15 since 2003 lead all MAC teams (see chart page 5). The Huskies' modern bowl history began at the California Bowl when the 1983 MAC Champions earned a 20-13 win over Cal State Fullerton. NIU reached six or more wins but was not selected for a bowl in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 (with 10 wins!) and 2005 (despite playing in the MAC Championship game).

HAMMOCK'S BOWL HISTORY: NIU head coach Thomas Hammock, a Huskie alum who was inducted into the NIU Hall of Fame in 2022, never had the opportunity to play in a bowl game during his playing days at NIU (1999-2002), but has coached in 10 bowl games during his college coaching career, including two Rose Bowls during his time at Wisconsin, in the 2006 Poinsettia Bowl as a NIU assistant. Hammock now has led NIU to three bowl games as head coach. 
 
WINNERS: NIU secured bowl eligibility with its win over Akron on November 13th in Huskie Stadium and guaranteed its 19th winning season this century (25 years) with its win over Central Michigan in the 2024 season finale. The Huskies rank among the Top 30 FBS programs in the country in wins over the last 15 seasons, with five conference championships, 11 winning seasons and 11 bowl appearances, including in 2024. The Huskies are bowl eligible for the third time in the last four seasons. NIU's 14 bowl appearances since 2003 and five MAC Championships lead all MAC teams. 

THE LAST MEETING: Quarterback Chandler Harnish and running back Chad Spann each scored two rushing touchdowns as NIU wrapped up the 2010 season with a 40-17 win over Fresno State in the Humanitarian Bowl. Harnish threw for a season-best 300 yards and ran for 72 yards on 10 carries. His two touchdowns came in the first half along with a 22-yard touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Skarb that put the Huskies up 23-10. Spann rushed for 95 yards and scored his two touchdowns in the second half. Senior defensive end Jake Coffman had a career-high three sacks, all in the first half, as part of a defensive effort that included six sacks and 14 tackles for loss. NIU gained 503 yards of total offense, averaging 9.1 yards per play.  

SERIES HISTORY: NIU and Fresno State meet for the sixth time ever and for the second consecutive time in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl as the teams played in what was then the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise on December 18, 2010. That win gave NIU a 3-2 edge in the all-time series. Each team is 1-1 at home with two-game sets in 1972-73 and in 1990-91. The closest game of the five played between the teams was the first, which the Bulldogs won 9-6 in DeKalb. NIU tied the series with a 24-15 win the next year in Fresno. Stats from the 1990 game are prominent in the Huskie single game records listing as NIU triumphed 73-18 in one of the highest-scoring games in school history. 

DOGS IN IDAHO: Including its 2010 bowl win in Boise, NIU is 3-2 all-time in games played in the Gem State with the other four games all played in Moscow, Idaho, which is located approximately 300 miles north of Boise, versus the University of Idaho. The football Huskies last played in Idaho in 2013 with NIU claiming a 45-35 win over Idaho at the Kibbie Dome on September 14 en route to an undefeated regular season behind Heisman Trophy finalist Jordan Lynch.

CALIFORNIA COMPETITION: NIU is 12-15 all-time against teams from California, including its 3-2 mark versus Fresno State. Six of the losses have come to San Diego State as NIU is 0-6 versus the Aztecs all-time with the most recent meetings in 2016-17. NIU has a 4-5 record all-time against Long Beach State and defeated San Jose State (18-17, 1995) and Cal Poly (47-30, 2011) in their only meetings. NIU is 2-1 versus Cal State Fullerton and split a pair of games with Pacific. The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl marks the third time NIU has played a California team in a bowl game (Fresno State twice, Cal State Fullerton in 1983).

LAST TIME OUT: In the 2024 regular season finale, NIU scored three rushing touchdowns in the first quarter to take a 19-0 lead over Central Michigan on Nov. 30, taking down the Chippewas 24-16 for a Senior Day victory. The Huskies held CMU to 204 yards of total offense, including just 51 in the second half. Telly Johnson Jr. rushed for a game-high 84 yards on 20 carries while senior Gavin Williams had 65 yards on six carries as well as three receptions for 26 yards. Cade Haberman blocked his third kick of the season on the PAT after the Chippewas' first touchdown which JaVaughn Byrd returned for two points.

ALL-MAC: Eight Huskies, including three offensive linemen and five members of NIU's outstanding defense, were selected to one of three 2024 All-MAC teams by league coaches. Seniors J.J. Lippe (OL), Devonte O'Malley (DL) and Nate Valcarcel (S) were named to the first team, the most first team selections for NIU since 2018. Junior defensive end Roy Williams and senior offensive linemen John Champe and Logan Zschernitz earned second team honors and cornerback JaVaughn Byrd and defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard were recognized on the third team. NIU's eight All-MAC players was the highest number of Huskies to make the team since 2021.   

CLOSE CALLS: Six of NIU's 12 games during the 2024 regular season were decided by one score (8 points) or less with a difference of three points or fewer in three games. That is less than the eight (of 13) NIU one-score games of a year ago. Since the start of the 2016 season, NIU's 61 one-score games played leads all FBS teams, with Eastern Michigan and Texas next in line.
    In 69 games under Thomas Hammock, 40, including 27 MAC contests, have been decided by one score. Included in those 40 games are four overtime games. 

One-Score Record Since 2015
1.     NIU    61 (29-32)
2.     Eastern Michigan    57 (28-29)
3.     Texas    56 (24-32)
T4.     Iowa State    53 (22-31)
T4.     Nebraska    53 (14-39)
6.     North Carolina    52 (22-30) 
7.     Oklahoma State    50 (31-19)
T8.     Kansas State    50 (24-26)
9.     Tulsa    49 (22-27)

GOLDEN HUSKIES: Defensive tackle Cade Haberman played in his 50th game as a Huskie versus Central Michigan to become the 11th player on the 2024 roster who has played in at least 50 games. Sixth year Demond Taylor Jr. leads all players in appearances as the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl will be his 60th at NIU, followed by OG John Champe (57), DT Devonte O'Malley (57), LB Jaden Dolphin (55), and TE Tristen Tewes (55). Safety Jordan Hansen, OL J.J. Lippe, S Nate Valcarcel, DT Jacob Waskow and OL Logan Zschernitz are all at 51 games played. Lippe leads all current players with 46 career starts, followed by Zschernitz and O'Malley with 45 starts each 
 
ONE-STOP SENIORS: Of the 30 seniors on NIU's 2024 team, 20 have played their entire careers at NIU, a number that ranks third in the nation behind only Stanford and Navy.

INTACT: Due to the large number of seniors in NIU's starting line-up throughout the season and the depth of the 2024 team, the Huskies starting line-up for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl game is mostly unchanged from the regular season. Although NIU has seen some departures to the transfer portal this month, only one position will have a player that has not started a game this season and that is at defensive end as junior Pierce Oppong, who has played in every game, moves into the starting role. On offense, redshirt freshman Josh Holst started the Toledo and Ball State games.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: The bowl game brings an opportunity for young Huskies who have waited their turn behind veterans throughout the season to provide a glimpse into the future. On offense, quarterback Josh Holst and young receivers La'Don Bryant and George Dimopoulos have seen action already this year, while defensively, players like Ivan Moore Jr. and Jay'Shon Thomas have been added to the depth chart at defensive end.  

FRESH FACES: Nine true freshmen - including wide receiver George Dimopoulos and kicker Austin Bullock, who have played in every game - have seen action for the Huskies in 2024. Running back Telly Johnson Jr. has made the biggest impact with back-to-back 100-yard rushing games versus Western Michigan and Akron, while wide receiver La'Don Bryant, recorded his first career reception at Miami on Nov. 19.

DETAILING THE DEFENSE

HISTORICALLY GOOD: In holding opponents to averages of 281.0 yards and 18.4 points, to rank fifth and 15th in the country, respectively, the Huskie defense is reaching levels that have not been seen by NIU in  years. To find a lower average yards by opponents than this year's 281, you have to go back 54 seasons to 1972 when opponents averaged 255.2 yards per game. The 2008 NIU defense gave up 18.0 points per game, the last time opponents averaged less than the 18.4 NIU is currently giving up. 

THIRD AND NO: NIU has held eight opponents this season to three or less third down conversions. The Huskies' third down conversion percentage defense of .259 (41-of-155) ranks second in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as opponents are converting just over once in every four third down tries. Both NC State (1-of-11) and Bowling Green (1-of-13) were held to one conversion while Buffalo (2-of-15), Toledo (2-of-15), Western Michigan (2-of-10) along with Miami had a pair of third down conversions. Only Ball State (10-of-18),  UMass (5-of-14), Akron (6-of-18) and Central Michigan (4- of-12) have converted more than three times on third down against NIU this season. 

ELITE D: Entering Bowl Season, NIU continues to rank among the Top 25 teams in the FBS in most defensive statistical categories. Through 12 games, the Huskie defense has given up just 22 touchdowns - less than two per game - on defense.  
 

Category	Avg,/No.	National Rank	MAC Rank
3rd Down Conv. Defense	0.259	2	1
Total Defense	281.0	5	1
Rushing Defense	111.8	20	2
Passing Yards Allowed	169.3	7	1
Pass Efficiency Defense	111.31	15	2
Scoring Defense	18.4	15	2
Red Zone Defense	0.781	26	2
Quarterback Sacks	2.83	20	1

NO RUSH: The NIU defense has held five opponents to less than 100 yards rushing, but are just 2-3 in those games with wins over Akron, which gained a season-low 50 yards on 24 carries, and Western Illinois, who earned 94 yards on 29 carries in the season opener. The Huskies lost at NC State on September 28, despite holding the Wolfpack to just 63 rushing yards on 27 carries, to Buffalo who totaled 77 yards on 37 runs on Sept/ 21 and at Miami, who gained 87 yards on 28 carries, on November 19. . 

RUSHING D RECORDS: NIU opponents have been held to 150 or fewer yards on the ground 17 times in the last 24 games and nine times in 2024. The Huskies are 12-5 in those games, including an 8-1 mark when opponents rush for 101-150 yards. NIU's win over Western Michigan marked its first in the last two seasons (seven games) when giving up more than 150 rushing yards. 

SECOND HALF D: Opponents have scored just 79 points against NIU in the second halves of games this year for an average of 6.6 points per game. The Huskies have three second half shutouts (Akron, Bowling Green, Central Michigan) and have not allowed a second half touchdown in the last three games, since WMU scored a pair of TDs on November 6. Miami scored just three points in the second half, Toledo and Ball State were each held to a pair of field goals in the second half, while both Notre Dame and NC State each managed just one third quarter touchdown. 

STOP RIGHT THERE: NIU opponents have reached the Red Zone (20 yard line) just 32 times in the Huskies' 12 games this year. Teams have scored on 25-of-32 trips inside the red zone with only 13 of those scores or 41 percent for touchdowns. Opponents have been held to field goal attempts from inside the red zone 12 times. By comparison, in the last three seasons, NIU opponents' touchdown percentage from the red zone has been 58 (2023), 68 (2022) and 69 (2021) percent.

ON THAT NOTE: In 11 games, NIU opponents have attempted 25 field goals and made 18, the most since 2018 when Huskie foes made 25-of-34 three-pointers. All but one of NIU's 12 opponents in 2024 have attempted at least one field goal with Western Michigan the only exception. Miami was the fourth team to try at least three threes. 

SEVEN SENIORS STRONG: Seven senior members of the NIU defense - all who have played in at least 47 games as Huskies - enter the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl with more than 100 career tackles, led by linebacker Jaden Dolphin's 208. Dolphin and Jordan Hansen each have 100 solo stops in their careers. See complete stats on the seven in the PDF of the release.

FORCE IN THE MIDDLE: Senior defensive tackle and first team All-MAC selection Devonte O'Malley recorded six quarterback sacks the Huskies' last eight games to lead NIU with eight on the season. He ranks second in the MAC and 22nd nationally in sacks and has moved up to sixth on NIU's career sacks list with 21. His eight sacks this season are the most by a Huskie since All-American Sutton Smith recorded 15 in 2018. O'Malley also leads NIU in tackles for loss with 11.5 after recording two TFLs on Senior Day. In NIU's signature win at Notre Dame, O'Malley recorded two sacks for minus 22 yards, three tackles for loss, four solo stops and a forced fumble and was named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week.

TRENCH MOB: Even with the departure of four defensive linemen since the Huskies' last game, the NIU defensive line for the Fresno State game includes six experienced players (three seniors, two juniors and redshirt freshman Mark Hensley) who have accounted for 18 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss in 2024. 

DUELING LINEBACKERS: Senior Jaden Dolphin leads fellow linebacker Christian Fuhrman by one tackle as the two have battled for the team lead throughout the season. Dolphin has made 55 stops, Fuhrman 54 with one interception apiece. Fuhrman, a grad transfer from SEMO, has 3.5 tackles for loss to 2.5 for Dolphin, while Dolphin has a pair of pass break-ups to one for Fuhrman.
 
NATE THE GREAT: Safety Nate Valcarcel closed out his fifth year as a Huskie by earning first team All-MAC honors. A versatile player who has 50 tackles and a pair of sacks while leading NIU in interceptions (2) and pass break-ups (8). He has a pass break-up or interception in eight of 12 games in 2024 with a season-best nine tackles at Miami.  

SACK PARTY AT BG: The Huskies recorded a season high six sacks at Bowling Green with all six by NIU defensive linemen, led by a pair by Skyler Gill-Howard. Roy Williams' sack and caused fumble was recovered by Jalonnie Williams for a Huskie turnover. Jalonnie Williams, Cade Haberman and Devonte O'Malley each contributed a sack. The last time the Huskies had at least six sacks in a game was on Nov. 9, 2022 versus Western Michigan in a 24-21 NIU win.

PICK 'EM: NIU intercepted three passes at Western Michigan to double its season total. Santana Banner collected his first career interception when he picked off the WMU punter on a fake attempt; linebacker Jaden Dolphin made his second career INT - and first since 2021 - to set up a Huskie touchdown and Nate Valcarcel picked off his second pass of the season deep in NIU territory to stop a Western Michigan drive. NIU's last three-interception game was versus Ohio in 2023. 

BACK-TO-BACK: NIU held both Buffalo and NC State to less than 200 yards of total offense, the first time in 20 seasons a Huskie team held back-to-back opponents to less than 200 yards. NC State gained just 171 yards, one week after Buffalo totaled only 184. In 2005, the Huskies gave up 174 yards to Eastern Michigan on Oct. 15 and followed that up by holding Kent State to 195 yards on Oct. 22. The Huskies nearly had four sub-200 yard defensive performances as Bowling Green (205) and Central Michigan (204) just snuck over the mark. 

ON THE OFFENSE

RANKING THE OFFENSE: NIU ranks 16th in the country in rushing offense with a 207.3 yard average and owns the No. 2 total offense in the MAC with an average of 383.4 yards per game. NIU is also the MAC's No. 2 team in fewest sacks allowed (1.42/game) and the league leader - and No. 8 in the country - in time of possession (32:52) . The Huskies' third down conversion percentage of .435 is second-best in the league.   

DUAL THREAT: Senior running back Gavin Williams, who transferred to NIU from Iowa in 2023, leads NIU in rushing with 741 yards on 135 carries; his 893 all-purpose yards, including 138 receiving on 22 catches, also lead the team. He has three 100-yard games this season and more than 1,000 yards in his 25 games as a Huskie. Williams' value has gone beyond stats, though, as his biggest plays seem to come in the biggest moments. From saving a potential turnover on a kickoff at Notre Dame, to third down conversion catches to keep drives going, to ripping off touchdown runs versus Western Michigan, Akron and CMU.  

TELLY TIME: True freshman Telly Johnson Jr. is averaging nearly 85 rushing yards per game since making his NIU debut versus Ball State on October 26 with six carries for 48 yards. He then posted back-to-back 100-yard rushing games, first with a team season high 141 yards on 23 carries and two rushing touchdowns in NIU's win at Western Michigan to earn MAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. He followed that with a 104-yard day versus Akron in his first career start. He has scored four rushing touchdowns in NIU's last four games to tie for the team lead and has run for 424 yards on 85 carries on the season.   

TWO FOR 100:  NIU rushed for 295 yards in the Akron game with both Telly Johnson Jr. and Gavin Williams gaining 100-plus yards, the first time since Jay Ducker (146) and Antario Brown (105) each went over the 100-yard mark in the 2021 Cure Bowl game versus Coastal Carolina.  

EXPLOSIVE: All four of NIU's touchdowns versus Akron came via the "big play," it's most long play scores since the 2023 Akron game. Wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph ran for a 58-yard touchdown and threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Dane Pardridge. Grayson Barnes scored on a 32-yard catch and run on a fourth and two-play in the second quarter, and Gavin Williams secured the win with a career-long - and NIU season-long - 71-yard rush in the fourth quarter.

CHEESEHEADS: NIU's offensive line room is filled with Wisconsin natives. From the 2024 starter - seniors J.J. Lippe (Milwaukee), Logan Zschernitz (Spencer), Evan Buss (Kimberly) and John Champe (Brookfield) and sophomore Evan Malcore (Sun Prairie) - to the replacements who have stepped in with Buss out due to injury: redshirt freshman Thomas Paasch (Green Bay) and senior Matthew Schooley (Wisconsin Rapids). 
.   
TWO MINUTE: The 2024 Huskies have been effective in two-minute situations, scoring in the final minutes of a half nine times. Kanon Woodill has finished those drives with field goals five times, including the game-winner at Notre Dame, the game-tying kick versus Buffalo to send the game to overtime and the kick to give NIU the lead at Ball State. At Western Michigan, quarterback Ethan Hampton directed a 12-play, 60-yard drive, hitting Gavin Williams who scored from five yards out, to give the Huskies a 21-14 halftime lead.
 
Game: Scoring Play, Quarter Time (Plays-Yards, TOP) - NIU-Opp
vs. WIU: Rudolph 43 pass from Hampton (Woodill PAT), 2nd 0:40 (4-60, 0:44) - 34-3
at ND: Woodill 35 FG, 4th 0:31 (11-31, 5:24) - 16-14
vs. Buffalo: Woodill 27 FG, 4th 0:24 (13-66, 3:04) - 20-20
at NC State: Thompson 6 pass from Hampton (Woodill PAT), 2nd 1:45 (9-75, 3:10) - 14-17
vs. Toledo: Woodill 37 FG, 2nd 0:00 (9-60, 1:16) - 6-7    
at Ball State: Thompson 54 pass from Hampton (Woodill PAT), 2nd 1:12 (6-75, 0:39) - 14-19
at Ball State: Woodill 47 FG, 4th 0:15 (12-50, 1:36) - 23-22    
at WMU: Williams 5 pass from Hampton (Woodill PAT), 2nd 0:09 (12-60, 1:45) - 21-14
at Miami: Woodill 47 FG, 2nd 0:04 (4-1, 1:41) - 3-17

THE QB STORY: Redshirt freshman walk-on Josh Holst will make his third start in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl game versus Fresno State. Holst has seen action in six games and started the Toledo and Ball State contests in October. He entered the Bowling Green game when Hampton went down with an injury and led the Huskies to the 17-7 win with his 22-yard touchdown run giving NIU its first lead of the game.  On the season, Holst is 47-of-81 passing for 411 yards and has run for 176 yards on 33 carries.   
 
AB 3K: On a 34-yard touchdown run at Ball State, Antario Brown became the ninth Huskie to surpass 3,000 career rushing yards. He is the first player since quarterback Jordan Lynch (2009-13) to surpass the 3,000-yard mark and the first running back since Garrett Wolfe (2004-06) to join the club. With two rushing TDs at Ball State, Brown moved past NIU head coach Thomas Hammock into 10th place on the Huskies' career list after passing Hammock on the rushing yardage chart earlier this season. The senior, who went down with an injury on a 49-yard run in the first quarter at Western Michigan, closed out his NIU career with 3,090 rushing yards on 518 carries for a 6.0 yards per carry average. 

IT TAKES A VILLAGE: Cam Thompson, who led NIU in receiving touchdowns (3) and yards per catch (14.0) as a sophomore in 2024, is the Huskies' top available receiver for th Fresno State game. Thompson had a breakout year in 2024 and is one of five players who had 20 or more catches this season. In addition to Thompson, tight end Grayson Barnes caught 25 passes with at least one catch in every game, followed by grad transfer Andrew McElroy with 24 grabs, many of which came late in games. Running back Gavin Williams is the other 20-plus catch man with 22 grabs. Nine different players have caught touchdown passes for NIU in 2024. 

IN A RUSH: The Huskies finished the UMass game with 367 yards on 54 carries, averaged 6.8 yards per rush and threw just two passes after the 9:15 mark of the second quarter. It was the most rushing yards for NIU since the 2023 Akron game (35-380) and the seventh time NIU has run for 300 or more yards under head coach Thomas Hammock. Three Huskies - running backs Gavin Williams (125) and Jaylen Poe (98) and quarterback Ethan Hampton (64) - gained at least 60 yards, the first time that has happened since Nov. 23, 2021. 

SPECIAL INTEREST

BLOCKS A LOT: NIU defensive tackle Cade Haberman recorded his third blocked kick of the season versus Central Michigan when he knocked down a PAT which teammate JaVaughn Byrd caught and returned for two points. It is the most blocked kicks in a season for a Huskie since Jimmie Ward blocked three punts in 2010 and the most blocked placekicks in a season since Quince Holman had four blocks (2 PATs and 2 FGs) in 2005.

BIG BLOCKS: Cade Haberman earned MAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after blocking a pair of Notre Dame field goals, including the 62-yard potential game-winner as time expired. He is the first Huskie to block two kicks in a game since Jalen McKie blocked a field goal and a PAT at Nebraska in 2019; the last player to block two field goals in a season was George Rainey in 2013. 

BLOCK PARTY: In all, NIU has blocked four kicks on the season with freshman Santana Banner's blocked field goal at Ball State added to Haberman's three blocks. It is the most field goal blocks by the Huskies since 2019 when they had five total blocked kicks including a punt, a PAT and three field goals. 

BUSY MAN: NIU kicker Kanon Woodill made field goals in nine of the Huskies' 12 games and in every game decided by one score or less in 2024. At Notre Dame, Woodill made threes from 42 and 21 yards to give NIU a 13-7 halftime lead, then booted the game-winning 35-yard kick with 31 seconds to play. He also had three field goals in NIU's 17-7 win at Bowling Green and accounted for all six of NIU's points versus Toledo. The senior has made a career high 15 threes in 2024. Woodill is 29-of-43 on threes in 21 career games as the starting placekicker. He has moved onto the Huskie career Top 10 list for points scored kicking and field goal percentage (.674).

TO THE HOUSE: NIU ranks 13th nationally in kickoff returns with a 25.44-yard average on 18 returns in 2024, largely on the strength of a pair of 89-plus yard kickoff returns by two different Huskies. At Western Michigan, Cam Thompson put the Huskies ahead to stay with a 91-yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter, the first kickoff return TD by a Huskie since Trayvon Rudolph's 100-yard kickoff return versus Bowling Green in 2021. On October 5, Jaylen Poe took a kick back 89 yards to the four-yard line versus UMass. It is the first time since Huskie great Tommylee Lewis scored on kickoffs of 100 and 95 yards versus Toledo in 2011 that NIU has had two returns of at least 89 yards in the same season.  

UNCOMMON: At Bowling Green, senior long snapper Isaac Hatfield scored the first points of his career by catching a pass from tight end Grayson Barnes on a two-point conversion attempt, giving the Huskies a 14-7 lead to start the fourth quarter. Hatfield and Hunter Higham of Hawai'i, who caught a two-point conversion pass versus Northern Iowa on September 21, are the only FBS long snappers to score this season. 

OF NOTE

CHRISTMAS EVE EVE: NIU plays a bowl game on December 23 for the fourth time when the Huskies take on Fresno State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. A year ago on December 23, NIU defeated Arkansas State, 21-19, in the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. The Huskies played the 2014 Boca Raton Bowl and the 2015 Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego on December 23rd.   

DEGREES IN HAND: Nine Huskies earned their first or second NIU degrees this December, adding to the 18 players who entered the 2024 season as college graduates. The December grads include three who finished their master's degrees as well as first team All-MAC defenders Devonte O'Malley and Nate Valcarcel and running back Gavin Williams.  

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: NIU offensive lineman J.J. Lippe was named a semifinalist for the 2024 Campbell Trophy. Lippe, who has become one of the top leaders on the Huskie team, earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in business from NIU over the past five years.  

HALL OF FAMERS: A pair of Huskie football greats were inducted into the NIU Athletics Hall of Fame on October 18 during Homecoming festivities on the NIU campus. Two-time All-American, 2013 Heisman finalist and NCAA record-setting quarterback Jordan Lynch and first team All-American defensive back Jimmie Ward joined the elite club. Ward, a first round draft choice of the 49ers in 2014, was not able to attend as he is now with the Houston Texans in his 11th NFL season. Lynch, the head football coach at Mt. Carmel High School, won his fourth state championships as head coach of the Caravan in 2024. 

IN OT: NIU is 10-6 in overtime games after losing, 23-20, in OT to Buffalo on September 21. NIU has played an overtime game in four consecutive seasons. Prior to the Buffalo game, the Huskies had won five of their last six overtime contests.